MEMBERS of a child sex gang responsible for raping and sexually abusing girls as young as 12 were jailed today, as it emerged their trial had cost taxpayers £40,000 in interpreters alone.

The men and youths, of Czech, Slovak Roma and Kurdish backgrounds, preyed on a total of five girls, including one with severe learning difficulties, in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire last year.

The girls were forced to have sex with men for money, which was used to buy drugs and alcohol.

The men were jailed at the Old Bailey today, where Judge John Bevan QC said that their failure to learn English meant that taxpayers were forced to fork out £40,000 for interpreters during the trial.

The gang's Roma ringleader, Zdeno Mirga, 18, who made one of his victims pregnant, was sentenced to 16-and-a half years in a young offender institution (YOI) for eight counts of rape and one count of inciting child prostitution.

Iraqi Kurd drug dealer Hassan Abdulla, 33, was jailed for 20 years after being convicted of four rapes and three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Renato Balog, 18, a Roma who helped Abdulla sell drugs, will serve 12 years in a YOI for five rapes and three sexual assaults.

Jan Kandrac, 17, also from a Roma community, will serve five-and-half years in a YOI for one count of rape and two of indecent assault on a child.

The youngest member of the gang, a 14-year-old Roma who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was given a non-custodial six-month youth rehabilitation order after being convicted of sexual activity with a child.

Two of the group's victims are of Czech/Slovak origin while the other three are English.

Zdeno Mirga, 18, was sentenced to 16-and-a half years [CENTRAL]

The case came to light when a Czech/Slovak girl, known as victim A, then aged 12-13, was taken into care and began to tell her social worker what had been happening to her.

Judge Bevan singled out the gang's treatment of one victim, who had an IQ of just 54.

She was repeatedly raped, with men and boys sometimes lining up to abuse her as a "sexual commodity", he said, adding: "To you she was easy meat, a sexual plaything who no one cared about, no one cared for and who nobody would believe.

"Unfortunately for you, the jury did."

Another victim became pregnant and a third self-harmed.

Several family members also listened to today's proceedings in court via the interpreters through headphones.

Passing sentence, Judge Bevan said: "The fact is that the defendants all came to this country with their families between five and 10 years ago and the majority are still teenagers.

"The acquisition of a new language is not difficult if you put your mind to it.

"They have not attempted to learn the language of the country of their choice."

He added: "The combination of the crimes you have committed and your attitude to these crimes both in this country and this court bring discredit on all of you in the dock and does a disservice to your fellow Roma who want to work hard in this country, improve themselves and make a positive contribution."